The billionaire owner of the New England Patriots has been charged with soliciting prostitution in a Florida massage parlour, police say.

Robert Kraft, 77, is accused of two misdemeanour charges in Jupiter. He has denied the allegation.

The owner of the Super Bowl-winning franchise allegedly paid for sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in the beach resort, police said.

Mr Kraft’s net worth is estimated at $6.6bn (£5bn).

The tycoon was snared as part of a human-trafficking sting operation in Jupiter about a month ago, said police.

Jupiter Police chief Daniel Kerr said at a press conference on Friday that the charges stem from “two different visits” to the spa, resulting in two counts of “soliciting another to commit prostitution”.

A spokesperson for Mr Kraft said in a statement to the BBC: “We categorically deny that Mr Kraft engaged in any illegal activity.

What do we know about the spa?

The spa was among 10 closed by authorities after a months-long investigation found women there were in “sexual servitude”, according to charging documents.

A detective told TCPalm.com that the alleged sex acts were captured on surveillance camera.

The Orchids of Asia website lists “a variety of massage modalities”- including Thai, Swedish and Japanese massages, facials and reflexology – offered in “private, quiet and clean rooms”.

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The spa’s manager, Lei Wang, was arrested on Tuesday on various prostitution-related charges and made her first court appearance on Thursday.

The 39-year-old, who required a Mandarin interpreter in court, was deemed a flight risk and ordered to hand over her travel documents from China and the US, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Her bail was set at $256,000, and the judge noted she could only post bond by proving the money did not come from any illegal activities.

Ms Wang is accused of being one of the key operators of the spa’s trafficking and prostitution ring. Several men reportedly told police she was the one they paid for the illicit services, according to the Post.

Warrants have also been issued for over 170 people who were swept up in the dragnet, police say.

Twenty-five people will be charged with prostitution, according to police.

Image copyrightGetty Images

Who is Robert Kraft?

He is the head of the Kraft Group, which has investments from sports to real estate.

Mr Kraft bought the Patriots for $172m in January 1994.

Under his 25 years of ownership the NFL team has played in 10 Super Bowls and won six championships.

He has four sons. His wife Myra died in 2011.

Since 2012, Mr Kraft has been in an on-and-off relationship with 39-year-old actress Ricki Lander.

Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Actress Ricki Lander and Mr Kraft have been together since 2012

A longtime friend of US President Donald Trump, he told the New York Daily News in 2017 how Mr Trump attended his wife’s funeral.